I need a suspension setup that isn't going to be to exspensive but will work well. I was thinkng 2 different setups. One ground control coilovers. The other tokico illumina's with nuespeed springs that would give a 1.8 or 2 inch drop. I'd like some adjustability so the coilovers are sounding better but there ia alot I don't know and would like some opinions...

96 ex

 

For what kinds of activities exactly? Certain setups are better than others, depending upon what you plan to do with your car...

Jon

 

well I'd say street. it's for an everyday driver car. I haven't been to the track but if I got out there i'd like it to do some good. But I don't need the best setup there is.
I see ads like these and the price is GREAT but how bad do they suck?

they are $125

I can get ground controls for $290
and Eabiach (sp) for like $990 but that's a bit too much like $500 too much


[Modified by Grimm, 10:58 AM 1/22/2002]


[Modified by Grimm, 11:04 AM 1/22/2002]

 

Okay, my advice (and I'm just one guy talking, so certainly don't take my opinion as anything more than that) is to get yourself the nicest set of adjustable shocks you can afford, and don't worry about springs or coilovers. They are simply too stiff for street use, especially if you drive on worn city streets or extended highway journeys. Adjustable shocks/struts will give you some additional stiffness which will mean improved handling, but not at the cost of losing good ride quality and suspension travel.

Having said that... if you are dead-set on lowering your car anyway (which is fine; again, I was just sharing my opinion), it's crucial that you match shocks and springs accordingly. For argument's sake, I'll simply say that they "smooth each other out".

Toki Illuminas and Neuspeed Race springs will be pretty stiff for the street, but they will be fairly well balanced and tolerable. In this scenario, though, you are still stuck with a lowered car that may scrape over speedbumps (among other things).

The setup to absolutely avoid is putting a coilover-sleeve setup from a company like Ground Control onto a stock strut. This is a recipe for a choppy/bumpy ride that will knock the fillings out of your teeth when you hit a pot-hole.

Note that you can get around some of this by picking softer spring rates, but you also deal with the fact that the springs in a GC setup are linear-rate instead of progressive-rate like any Eibach or H&R or whatever, so essentially a small bump feels more like a big bump.

If you go with Ground Controls, they will essentially require the best adjustable shock you can afford, to be well-matched. I would particularly recommend Koni Yellows (Sports), which are significantly more durable than Tokico Illuminas or KYB AGX's, IMHO.

Also please keep in mind that the coilover adjustability factor does have its price... namely, you will need to re-align your car every time you raise or lower it significantly.

Not sure if this has helped at all. Hopefully the others in here will have better suggestions!

Jon

 

yes That helps considerably. I usually have about a 90 min commute both ways to work. I would prefer to have my car lowered a bit not slammed by any means but dropped an inch or so. i like the ability to beable to adjust the ride height of my car since I deal with snow at times. I don't have a problem with the ride being a bit rougher as long as i cling to the road. The problem I have now is i seem to float or bounce over stuff making my driving a bit scary, especially around off ramps that are maintained well. I hope htis gives you all a better idea of use and wants. Thanks again...

 

I might make one more specific suggestion:

Eibach Pro-Kit springs (est $220) and KYB AGX adjustable shocks (est $400). This would be about the best all-around setup in terms of quality and affordability that I can think of, based on the wants and needs you have listed.

Those springs offer about a 1" drop with progressive-rate (i.e. street friendly) coils, they are noticeably stiffer than stock but not too much so, and they are extremely well-made.

Those shocks are four-way (or eight-way sometimes) adjustable, they can also be noticeably stiffer than stock, and they are also well-made.

That setup would offer a decent drop and significant stiffness, without too much discomfort during your 90 min commute.

I would also recommend that you stay away from no-name coilovers like the ones in the pic you added earlier. Generally they aren't very well-made and the springrates are usually unknown. As far as I'm concerned, the Ground Controls are definitely worth the extra money, specifically because they come with those excellent Eibach springs.

Just my opinion, hope it helps!

Jon

 

hey thanks, that is good to know. The one thing i don't understand is the whole coilover system. A coilover is a sleeze for your stock shock/strut? Or does it replace your shock/strut? In reference to the ground controls system... or the skunk 2 system...

 

Technically speaking, a 'coilover' is any shock/spring combo where a coil spring is contained within the height of the shock assembly. Most stock setups are this way by definition.

However, in aftermarket circles, the term 'coilover' is used to mean something slightly different. Specifically, GC or Skunk2 coilover setups are threaded sleeves with a perch that the spring sits on, which goes over the top of the strut body. This offers height adjustability via raising or lowering that perch, and as a unit it simply replaces the stock or fixed aftermarket (Eibach Pro-Kit/Sportline, H&R Sport, etc) spring. You can see an illustration of this in the photo you posted - the blue part is the spring, the silver part is the threaded sleeve it sits on.

However, as mentioned, height changes via coilovers can significantly affect alignment and/or handling. In a perfect world, coilovers like you mention should only be set up on racing scales for proper ride height and weight balance... which is another great reason why they don't belong on street cars.

Jon

 

gotcha.. thanks again for your very helpful explanation. I am not thrilled with having to spend $700 on a suspension set-up but such is life, I read that eibach has a warranty for 1 million miles so, at least I won't need to buy new ones ever... LOL. thanks again...

well it looks like i can get the full set up you described as a sort of package deal for $530. Thanks again, Gonna get them next week...


[Modified by Grimm, 1:58 PM 1/22/2002]